Yeduim Batsibur
by Ziva- Zia- Z
Summary: "Don't they make just the cutest couple?" After Ziva's apartment is destroyed, Tim offers her a place to stay while her apartment is rebuilt. What begins as a temporary engagement soon turns long-term, and the pair find themselves in a heap of trouble- especially when they're families find out. AU, post Aliyah. McGiva.
1. Chapter 1

_**Yeduim Batsibur**_

 **Rifiuto: N** **on Miri** **ena**

 **Summary: "Don't they make just the cutest couple?" After Ziva's apartment is destroyed, Tim offers her a place to stay while her apartment is rebuilt. What begins as a temporary engagement soon turns long-term, and the pair find themselves in a heap of trouble- especially when they're families find out. AU, post _Aliyah_. McGiva.**

 **A/N: Written pre-Aliyah, the week before that episode aired.- Licia**

 _Silver Spring,_

 _Washington, D.C.,_

 _District of Columbia,_

 _2009_

"Thank you again, Tim."

"No problem, Ziva. Just... answer me this. Why did you ask to stay with me instead of Tony?"

She met his gaze. "I cannot trust Tony, after what he's done, Tim. I just can't."

He sighed, pulling her close; even though she hated being touched or comforted in any way, she allowed her partner to pull her close, and burrowed into him, resting her head against his chest. He sighed internally, pulling her closer, and nuzzling his nose against her head. The scent of jasmine engulfed his senses and he relaxed, tightening his hold on her briefly before finally pulling away. He met her gaze before leaning down and gently nuzzling his nose against her cheek- something he would often do with Sarah to make her smile when she was a child- and that he hoped would make Ziva smile. A moment passed as Ziva momentarily tensed, before seeming to realize what was happening. A soft giggle escaped her throat, and with a sigh, she returned her head to his shoulder.

After a couple seconds, McGee pulled away, heading into the bedroom. He came back a few minutes later with a pillow and a couple blankets. "You can take the bed and I'll take the sofa."

"I couldn't ask you to do that, McGee." She reached out, laying a hand on his arm, stopping him. "I can just as easily sleep on the sofa as the bed."

Gently, the junior agent patted her arm, giving her a soft smile. "I'll be fine on the sofa. If you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me. Okay?" Slowly, the Israeli nodded, watching as he made his way to the sofa and quickly made it up, before going into his bedroom. She turned when he joined her, going to the dresser. "The bathroom is to your right, and you know where the kitchen is. I usually go for a run about four, so if you wake up and I'm not here- I just went for a run, and I'll be back soon. There's coffee in the kitchen and some leftover coffee cake in the fridge that I made last time Sarah came over; feel free to help yourself." She nodded, watching as he grabbed his things and slipped into the bathroom; once gone, she sank onto the bed, looking around.

After her apartment had been destroyed, Tony had been the first one to offer a place to stay- but considering the fact that Tony was responsible for Michael's death, it wasn't the best idea. She refused to stay with Gibbs, because that would just be... weird, and while she considered Abby's offer, in reality, she had no desire to spend the next few nights sleeping in a coffin. so when McGee offered, she'd said yes. Besides, Tim was a gentleman, he wouldn't take advantage of her like Tony most likely would have.

The sound of the bathroom door opening brought her from her thoughts, and she looked up as Tim came back into the bedroom. "The bathroom's all yours. If you need anything, Ziva, just let me know." She nodded, silent, watching as he slipped out of the room, shutting it partially behind him.

Eventually, the apartment fell silent, and both agents settled down to catch some sleep. But for Ziva, sleep became impossible. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Michael lying on the floor of her living room, the shard of glass from her coffee table embedded in his side, Tony kneeling beside him, gun drawn and at the ready to put a bullet in his skull. She smelled the blood and alcohol as it mixed on the hardwood, and saw the light begin to leave Rivkin's dark eyes-

 _"No!"_

Tim bolted upright, unaware of where the crying was coming from, before he remembered that Ziva was staying at his place while her apartment was repaired. After a moment, he got up, slipping down the hall and into the bedroom; Ziva lay among the blankets, whimpering softly, clearly caught within the throes of a nightmare. _"No... Michael... Tony, how..."_ Silently, Tim took a seat on the bed beside her, reaching out to gently take her hand-

Ziva bolted upright, hand moving to circle his throat; Tim managed to grab her wrist, stopping her small, slender fingers. She looked up at him, and slowly, the clouds began to clear as she realized where she was and what was going on. "T... Tim?"

"You were having a nightmare, Ziva." She sighed deeply, her small fingers sliding down to briefly curl around his before she lay back down. "You okay now?" She nodded. As he stood, she grabbed his wrist, tightening her hold, and he turned back.

"Stay... Tim... please... do not leave me... stay here..."

Silently, he returned to the bed, returning to her side. Her hold on his wrist loosened, and she sighed, eventually drifting off to sleep. Tim watched her for several minutes, studying the steady rise and fall of her chest, before he slowly moved to pull away; her fingers slid through his, and he stopped. Clearly, even in her sleep, Ziva wished him to remain by her side. He found himself studying her, and was surprised at how tiny her features truly were. Sure, she was small- compared to him, at six foot one- but he'd never truly realized _how_ small until that moment. With a sigh, he brought her hand up, brushing a kiss to her knuckles.

"Sweet dreams, Ziva."


	2. Chapter 2

**Rifiuto: N** **on Miri** **ena**

 _Well, this is one predicament you never thought you'd see, eh, Jethro? But honestly, did you really think it_ wouldn't _happen? When they work so closely together, two of your team are bound to end up in bed together_ eventually _. But honestly, I would have thought it'd have been DiNozzo and Ziva- since he's always chased after her, even when she hasn't been interested. McGee is the last- McGee's just as much a red-blooded man as DiNozzo is, if not more so. He has needs just as you and DiNozzo do, only he'd ask before sleeping with a woman-_

Normally, he'd wake them up with a firm smack to the back of the head, each.

He didn't move.

He couldn't.

The sight of McGee and Ziva curled together like puppies was too... perfect, almost.

 _She fits perfectly beneath his chin, as though she were made for him. And their hands... his are just long and big enough they encompass and protect hers... and their skin tones... God, any babies they make will be absolutely beautiful..._

He blinked.

Did he, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Marine sniper, steak-griller, boat builder, Special Agent Bastard, just allow thoughts of _babies_ to cross his mind? Especially babies made by two of his _agents_?

 _They would make a cute couple; so much cuter than Ziva and DiNozzo. Plus, McGee respects women, unlike Tony..._

"Hey, Boss, what's the hold-"

 _Oh boy._

Gibbs didn't move as his senior agent stopped beside him; Tony'd hazel eyes drank in the sight of his partners, curled around each other, hands entwined. The smile that had graced the senior agent's features moments earlier quickly dissolved, and he let out a scoff of surprise. _"What the hell is going on?"_

McGee was the first to stir- as soon as his green eyes opened and he realized who stood over them, he bolted upright, jolting Ziva awake. The two agents wore looks of startled surprise as they realized that they suddenly had an audience. "Boss, T... Tony... it... it's not what it looks like..."

 _"What does it look like, Probie?"_ Tony snipped, wanting nothing more than to punch his partner's lights out, even though he wore a sling. _How_ dare McGee _sleep with_ Ziva _-_

"Nothing happened, Tony." Ziva glanced at Tim with a yawn, before turning back to the two older agents.

"So what if something did happen?" Tim glanced at her, green eyes wide, and she shrugged. "It does not matter. It is not like I slept with Tony before now. Besides, partners can sleep together without it developing into anything."

Tim rolled his eyes, pushing the blankets aside and scrambling out of bed; Ziva stayed where she was. Without a word, Gibbs forced Tony out of the room, shutting the door behind him, giving the pair time to get ready. Once gone, Tim turned back to Ziva. "Well, are you happy now? Pissed both of them off?"

"I never slept with Tony, McGee."

He stopped his rummaging of his dresser drawers and turned to her. "What?"

She reached up, scratching her shoulder. "I never slept with Tony, Tim. Not when we were undercover or ever. I do not think of him that way, even if he seems to think of me that way. There is no attraction between us; not on my end, anyway. At first, yes, but then I realized how childish Tony really is."

Tim nodded, silent. "Well, that's... that's... nice to know." He made a face, trying to think of something to say, only to give up. "You want the bathroom first?" Slowly, she nodded. Once the door shut behind her, Tim proceeded to get dressed. It was kind of hazy, how he'd ended up in bed with Ziva, though from the tear tracks on her face, it was evident that she'd needed the comfort, and Tim was happy to provide it.

He looked up as the bathroom door opened, and Ziva slipped out. "You can have it now." As he slipped past her, Ziva reached out, catching his hand and squeezing. The meaning was clear.

 _Thank you._

As the door closed behind him, Ziva let herself relax momentarily; there was no need for her join Gibbs and Tony just yet. Besides, considering how angry Tony had gotten, she was safer behind the closed bedroom door. So instead, she glanced around the room- there was something uniquely different about a man's room as opposed to a woman's. As her eyes drank in every little detail, Ziva found that Tim's room was vastly different than what she'd expected. He had a semi-walk-in closet, directly across from the bed, with his dresser and a huge armchair diagonally across from each other. A flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall across from the bed, but from what Ziva could tell, it was rarely on- in truth, only when Sarah was over was the TV ever used.

She sank onto the bed, and the smell of him instantly filled her nose; it was pleasant- a mixture of typewriter ink, coffee, Italian leather, musk and a hint of pine. It was a smell that seemed to relax her; the night before, when she'd snuggled into his arms, the scent of him had calmed her frantic heart, and she'd buried her face in his chest, the feel of his fingers tightening around hers a comfort. Her thoughts were jarred when the door opened and Tim slipped back into the bedroom. The dark blue of his button-down brought out the green in his eyes, and she watched in silence as he pulled a heather-grey jacket, tugging it on. The grey slacks he wore only served to make his eyes all the brighter.

"Ready to face the music?"

Ziva's brow furrowed as she took the hand he offered. "What music?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Rifiuto: N** **on Miri** **ena**

 **Thanks to Reader aka Sun Samurai for reviewing 1 and 2, and Sazzita and Jamesbond2007 for reviewing 1, and DS2010 and mcgeeksgirl for reviewing 2.**

The day was long, and tense in so many ways. Gibbs kept Tony on a tight, short- not even short, minimal- leash, as far away from both McGee and Ziva as humanly possible, and the pair were given a lengthy amount of time in the 'office' to explain what their boss had walked into that morning. After reports were finished, Gibbs sent them all home; of course, as soon as Tony got the chance, he dashed down to Abby's lab to tell the Goth what he and the boss had walked in on at McGee's.

As the pair stepped into the elevator and both turned back to face the front- almost as though it'd been choreographed- Ziva glanced at Tim, wondering exactly how she should bring up the subject of-

"Chinese okay? Or were you thinking something else?"

She met his gaze. "Chinese sounds great."

The Israeli was still trying to figure out how he'd been able to read her mind when they picked up said dinner and returned to the apartment. After closing the door behind them, Ziva followed him into the kitchen. She turned, expecting to find Jethro- the German Shepard Tim had adopted at Abby's arm-twisting after their case a couple years ago- come scurrying into the room. Come to think of it, the dog wasn't in the apartment the night before when she and Tim had come home, either.

"Jet's spending some time with Sarah at Penny's, up at the Cape. No sense in him spending the spring cooped up in an apartment when he can spend his holiday dashing across a beach, right?" She met his gaze, smiling softly, before watching as he set a plate before her on the counter, and then came around to join her. They ate in silence for several minutes, before Ziva finally spoke.

"Did Gibbs seem... angry at us today?"

He met her gaze, taking a moment to finish his bite and lower his chopsticks. "I think _Tony_ was more angry at us than Gibbs, to be honest. He certainly didn't like seeing us curled up together."

Ziva huffed, rolling her eyes. "Tony acts as though he _owns_ me. As though I am his, a dog that will come when he calls. I am not a dog, or a doll to be played with. I am a grown woman. I am capable of making my own decisions, especially in regards to who I want to be with. I do not want to be with Tony; I have never wanted to be with Tony. Curious about him, yes, but in desire of a relationship? No. Never with Tony. He is too much of a child to ever take any sort of relationship seriously. Besides, after what happened-" She fell silent, and Tim reached over, taking her hand and squeezing. They ate in silence for several minutes, before,

"Would it be all right if I watched TV tonight?" He met her gaze; in all the time he'd known her, Ziva had never seemed very interested in TV- even admitting at one point that she did not own one- so her simple request shocked him. " _Ghost Adventures_ is on tonight. It is the season premiere-" She stopped, blushing as he raised a single eyebrow.

" _You_ watch _Ghost Adventures_?"

This time, she sighed, indignant. "In Mossad, part of the training is to be open to things you cannot see, or even understand, McGee."

The eyebrow rose higher. "You mean the supernatural."

She shrugged. "Call it what you want, not everything can be explained by the laws of the natural world."

"So you believe in ghosts?"

"I do not _not_ believe in ghosts... or demons... or monsters... or chimeras."

He snorted softly, taking a sip of his drink. "Sarah always thought it meant a delusion or fantasy, and while it does, there's another meaning for it. Originally, the word comes from the Greeks; in their mythology, a chimera was a monster, similar to the Medusa or griffin, only it possessed the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a dragon. It was usually thought to be female, like so many of the ancient Greek monsters."

She met his gaze. "You know your mythology."

"I'm a geek, Ziva."

She slid a hand towards him. "There is nothing wrong with that." They sat in silence for several minutes, before finally finishing dinner. Eventually, both changed into their pajamas, and as Tim sat down to write, Ziva slipped into the bedroom, settling down and turning the TV on. Halfway through her two-hour premiere, she looked up, as Tim slipped into the room, holding out a cup of coffee.

"Mind if I join you?"

"I thought you were writing."

He shrugged. "Figured I'd see what you like so much about it." She shifted over, allowing him to join her, and as he settled beside her, she wrapped her hands around the mug. It was silent between the pair for several minutes, before he spoke. "So, where exactly do they go?"

"All over the world. Ireland, England, Mexico."

"Do they ever actually prove-"

"Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't."

By the time the show ended and a new show began to play, Ziva was sound asleep, curled against Tim's arm. He gently removed the empty mug, setting it on the nightstand and removing himself from the Israeli's side- until she slipped her arms around his bicep and nuzzled into him. Being gentle, he tried pulling away, but Ziva tightened her hold, whimpering softly, clearly caught within a nightmare. After a moment, he settled beneath the covers; Ziva snuggled close, burying her face in Tim's chest. She began to shake, not from the cold, but the nightmare. Gently, Tim slid his arms around her waist, pulling her close; he pressed a kiss to her head.

"Easy, Ziva. I'm right here. I'll be right here."

The softness of his voice seemed to calm her, and slowly, she began to stop her shaking.


	4. Chapter 4

**Rifiuto: N** **on Miri** **ena**

 **Thanks to Buddy5647 for reviewing 1, 2, and 3, and Sazzita, Guest, Reader aka Sun Samurai, mcgeeksgirl and Paula Galtarocha** **for reviewing 3.**

Within a week of Ziva's staying at Tim's, the contractors had come to work on her apartment; there was so much damage it turned out- not only to Ziva's apartment, but the apartment surrounding it- that the entire apartment building needed to be gutted and rebuilt, which put not only Ziva, but the others in that particular building out of a-

"Ziva, it's your home."

She met Tim's gaze; her own dark eyes glazed. "No, it's not."

The bedroom door slammed as she slipped from the kitchen area, and Tim sighed, wrapping his hands around his mug. Since she'd started staying with him, Ziva had become even more distant in regards to any mention of her apartment or Rivkin and what had transpired. And with Tony still working directly across from her- and not speaking to either the younger agent or Mossad officer for what he saw as "betrayal", something he and Abby both shared- come on, they were grown adults, and pouting like toddlers- it made work exceedingly uncomfortable for both Tim and Ziva alike. Which was why the pair both asked for a sabbatical from work, in hopes that, without their presence in the bullpen, both Tony and Abby would hopefully realize how childish they were both acting and _get over it_.

But then again, this _was_ Tony and Abby they were talking about.

After a moment, he got up, going to the bedroom and pushing the door open. She lay on the bed, her back to the door; even from this distance, her shoulders were shaking, and it was clear she was fighting her emotions. Silently, Tim shut the door behind him, making his way towards the bed. He climbed onto it; she lifted her head, glancing over her shoulder as he joined her, his arms sliding around her waist.

Now, it was evident the tears on her cheeks, and gently, he kissed them away. To an outsider, it was the sight of a man comforting the woman he loved, though in reality, love was the furthest thing from either's mind. At least, at the moment. Months later, they would find themselves in the same position, for an entirely different reason, with their very futures at stake, but on this night, it was nothing more than one friend comforting the other.

"You don't have to be strong all the time, Ziva. Crying is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength."

She swallowed thickly, shaking her head, and Tim lay beside her, letting her deal with it, giving her support. Eventually, sleep took hold, and her breathing evened out; once she was snoring, Tim slipped off the bed, tiptoeing out of the bedroom and shutting the door softly behind him. He took a seat at the typewriter, and after adding a new sheet of paper, began to type.

 _The winds of winter enveloped her, the snow fell, blinding her vision and embracing her like the cold hand of Death, beckoning her forward. She had never seen such..._ _desolation before; the remains of the manor_ _still smoldered, despite that the fire had been put out centuries before she had even been born. Her gaze roamed_ _over the skeleton, the ancient brick and charred wood nothing more than a withered foundation; there was hardly any resemblance to the magnificent mansion it had_ _once been, centuries ago, when the kings had run Europe and ships such as the R.M.S._ Titanic _were the grandest way to travel._

 _Slowly, she reached up, grasping at the silver medallion around her neck. How she'd managed to stumble across it in the antique shop where she worked was beyond her; it was almost as if it had... called to her. Whispering her name from the depths of time, reaching for her very soul, leading her through time and space to this very moment, this very... era. A ghost, witnessing the end of a family dynasty, the destruction of a town, and the explosion of a feud that took the entire family- nearly the entire town- with it._

 _She glanced down at it, at the name engraved upon the back-_

 _Hannah._

The sound of something hitting the floor in the bedroom jarred his focus from his work, and Tim stood, rushing from the living room. He burst through the door, prepared- as any good, trained federal agent should- and flicked on the overhead light-

Only to find his house guest, sitting on the floor among a heap of blankets, tears running down her cheeks.

 _"Ziva?"_ He quickly unloaded his gun and set it on the boudoir before making his way towards her, holding out a hand. "What hap- _oof!_ " The Israeli launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck as he leaned down to help her up.

"I woke up... you left me alone... do not leave me alone, Tim... _please_..." The unadulterated fear in her voice tugged at his heart, and after a moment, he slid an arm around her lower back and slipped his other arm beneath her knees, scooping her up. If Ziva noticed the shift, she didn't acknowledge it, just buried her face in his shoulder, soft sobs escaping her throat, her arms tightening around his neck.

Without a word, Tim carried her into the living room, gently laying her on the sofa and grabbing a blanket. With a firm kiss to her forehead, he settled at his desk, returning to his writing. Ziva watched him for several minutes, her eyelids soon becoming heavy, the _click, click, ding!_ of Tim's typewriter as his hands flew over the keys lulling her to sleep. By the time Tim finished with his chapter, removed it from the typewriter, and slipped it into the folder and then into his desk drawer, Ziva was out like a light.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rifiuto: N** **on Miri** **ena**

 **Thanks to Reader aka Sun Samurai, Buddy5647 and Sazzita for** **reviewing 4, Guest for reviewing 2, Jamesbond2007 for reviewing 3.**

He let her sleep in.

Curled up on the bed, while he slept on the sofa, having put her to bed and returned to finish typing once he was sure she was out cold.

He was up at four- as was usual, thanks to work having drilled it into his head, and so slipped into the bedroom, quickly pulling on his running gear and soon slipping out of the apartment. The year before, Penny, Tim and Sarah's enigmatic grandmother, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. They'd caught it early, thank God, and the mass had been removed, and to show their support, he and Sarah had trained for- and run- a marathon that supported breast cancer survivors, that, by the end of it, had raised over half a million for research and treatments. Since then, Tim had kept up his training regiment, and often joined Sarah when she started training for a marathon. The next one coming up that the college student wanted to do was the Boston Marathon-

He opened the apartment door to find a familiar gun pointed in his face. "Ziva?"

"M... _McGee_?" The shaking Israeli slowly lowered the gun, of which Tim reached for and promptly removed from her hand, taking out the clip and shutting the door behind him. He sighed, setting the gun and clip on the side table before reaching for her.

"I'm sorry, Ziva, I didn't think."

"I woke up and... you were gone..." She curled into his embrace, shoulders shaking.

"Oh, Ziva..." His arms slid around her, and he gently rocked her back and forth. "I simply went out for a run. I should have stopped and thought about how you'd react if you woke up to find me gone... I should have woken you up and let you know... I wasn't thinking." He pressed a kiss to her head, feeling her small fingers tangle around his running jacket. Eventually, her sobs quieted and her shoulders stopped shaking, the mere feel of being wrapped in his arms, held against his body, with the slight scent of sweat and early morning dew mixing in her nose calming her. He pulled away slowly, looking down at her. "You okay?"

It was slow, but there, her nod.

He smiled softly. "Good." Then, once more, he pressed a kiss to her head, before moving away. "Do you want me to make you breakfast before I take a shower?"

She turned, watching him head back towards the bedroom after grabbing his gun and clip. "I can make it." He stopped, turning back. "I can... make breakfast." He raised an eyebrow.

"You don't have to, Ziva. I can make breakfast and then shower, it's no problem-"

"I'm... just as capable of making breakfast as you... Timothy." She whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Besides, if it... gives me something to do..." She stopped, and he nodded, going to her.

"Okay. Since you're so..." He sighed, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. "set on making breakfast, I'll let you make breakfast. But in return, you let me make you lunch." She met his gaze.

"What about dinner?"

A moment passed, before,

"We'll talk."

She made a face, wrinkling her nose as she turned her head slightly, and he chuckled, delighted to see the first true signs of the Ziva he knew coming back, even briefly after the debacle. "Mmm..."

"Ziva, hey, look at me." He reached up, tilting her face back towards him; his green eyes quickly darted towards her puckered lips, and he wondered, briefly, exactly what it would feel like, to kiss that mouth. Did they feel as soft as they looked? As velvety as they appeared? Was it possible, to taste even the tiniest hint of her soul in a simple brush? Would she even _want_ him to kiss her? She'd made it _very_ clear that she felt nothing for Tony, even though the Italian seemed to still think there was something between them. But even so, was she even really interested? Probably, but not in him. Not in the man she saw as her partner, her best friend.

Most likely, they would always remain friends, whether one felt for the other or not...

" _Look at me_." She shook her head, tugging her chin out of his grasp; silently enjoying the feel of his long, slender fingers moving to cup her chin and push her back to face him. His fingers were so soft- hadn't he said something about lotion once? And those fingers...

She'd often admired his fingers from afar, as they flew over the keyboard of his computer, drawing information out of the darkest recesses of the Internet, or as they curved around the stick shift and steering wheel when they went out on a case... the way they seemed to caress even the coldest metal of his Sig Sauer... did they caress human flesh just as softly as cold metal and steel? They seemed too.

She refused to open her eyes, for fear of what she'd see-

For months, something had bubbled in her stomach, twisting her insides and tugging at her heart whenever she looked his way. Slowly, he was becoming less and less 'McGee' and more and more 'Tim'- not just her colleague and partner, but someone of interest, who fascinated her. Someone she wanted desperately to know more of- body and soul. But each time he was unavailable- the possession of another woman, someone who didn't see or deserve his worth. Someone who often took him for all he had, leaving a shell of the man Ziva had come to respect and admire.

He laughed softly, and her heart began to pound, as he tugged her face back towards him.

"Ziva."

She waited, silent, mouth still screwed up in that way he had begun to find adorable over the years.

"Let's compromise on dinner."

He then moved to pull away, before deciding against it. _What could it hurt?_

Her eyes snapped open, just as their lips met in a quick, gentle peck.


	6. Chapter 6

**Rifiuto: N** **on Miri** **ena**

 **A/N: I'm so sorry, real life got in the way, but hopefully I'll be back to regularly updating my sister-in-law's stories.- Licia**

 **Thanks to Gottahavemyncis for reviewing 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, Reader aka Sun Samurai, Buddy5647, Sazzita, Inesit, DeathDagger, Special Agent McGiva and DS2010 for reviewing 5.**

He bolted upright; small arms tightened around his waist. Heart in his throat, he glanced over his shoulder, to find Ziva curled into his back. At some time in the middle of the night, he'd ended up in bed, with Ziva snuggled into his side, sound asleep. Being careful not to wake her, he reached over, grabbing his phone off the nightstand-

Her small fingers reached up, tightening around his wrist. Tim hissed, more in annoyance than in pain, and soon found Ziva's dark, frightened eyes staring up at him. "McGee? Do... do not do that to me..."

"Shh, easy, Ziva." He shifted onto his side, and she moved to lie on her back. "I was just gonna check the time, that's all." She nodded, and after a moment, released his wrist, watching as he grabbed the cell. "Zero-two-hundred." He glanced at his... beautiful, frightened bedfellow. A soft sigh escaped his throat as he returned his phone to the nightstand. "Go back to sleep, Ziva." Without a word, Ziva snuggled into his chest, sniffling.

"Stay with me, Tim. Please?"

He slid his arms around her, holding her close. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

They lay in silence for several minutes, neither of them sleeping, for there was too much on both their minds. And it all centered around their kiss.

Even though it had been quick- a mere soft brush of the lips- it had still startled both Tim and Ziva. They'd both jolted apart as though they'd been caught making out in the hallway by the school principal in between classes, and Tim had stammered an apology about how he hadn't meant it as anything more than a kiss between friends. Similar to a greeting, he'd reasoned. Just something to experiment with, like a pair of teenagers chosen during Spin the Bottle.

An innocent kiss, nothing more.

Eventually, Tim felt someone tracing patterns on his chest; Ziva soon met his gaze. "I am sorry, Tim."

"About what, Ziva?"

She sighed softly, continuing her tracing. "About all this."

"It's not your fault, Ziva. It just... things like this just... happen. We can't do anything about it." Ziva's only response was the nuzzle into his side, tucking her head beneath his chin. He tensed briefly, before slowly sliding his arms around her waist and holding her close. Eventually, the gentle weight of her on his chest relaxed Tim enough that he drifted off to sleep; however, Ziva remained awake.

She listened to the evenness of Tim's breathing, wondering exactly how her life had ended up in this... chaotic mess. First, to start off everything, her brother goes rouge, she's nearly killed by a serial killer, then her ex-partner and ex-boyfriend shows up, gets into a fight with Tony, resulting in Tony killing him, and then her apartment is destroyed... all leading up to her being here.

Well, she should be grateful for one thing: She wasn't staying with Tony.

 _Thank God_ for small favors.

 _Tony... that... self-serving Ben Zonah, who's basically staked a claim on you from the moment you walked into NCIS. Thinking he has a right to tell you who you can and cannot be involved with, acting jealous when you talk with Tim- as though he is your boyfriend or husband. And the fact that he lays his hands on you whenever he damn well pleases- like he owns you! The bastard has no right touching you, no right at all! You are no one's property! Except Tim's._

She inhaled sharply, and Tim's arms instinctively tightened around her, as though he'd been holding her in his arms every night from the moment they met. She nuzzled her nose against his chest, breathing in his scent; the familiar smell of typewriter ink, coffee and leather did nothing to calm her racing heart, and everything to set her pulse skyrocketing.

 _No, get those thoughts out of your head. You do not belong to Tim. You are just friends. He is being kind, offering you a place to stay while they rebuild your apartment-_

"Ziva."

She lifted her head as her name fluttered softly from his lips. _He just said your name._ She didn't understand why that made her heart jump; he was probably just concerned about her.

"Ziva... I'm here."

A small smile tugged at her lips and she returned her head to his chest. Clearly, he cared deeply for her, even if he only openly admitted it in his sleep. Though it was plain as day that Tim obviously cared about her, he never said anything. She knew that he thought of her as a younger sister- or at least, had always assumed he thought of her as a younger sister, not someone to get involved with. Tim knew boundaries, he was a gentleman- unlike Tony.

Tony did not know the first thing about being a gentleman.

 _But he knows everything about being a whore-man. Man whore? Whatever that word is!_

She snuggled as close as she could possibly get, pressing her body against his side; his arm tightened around her waist and Ziva tensed briefly, before realizing that Tim was simply running his hand up and down her back gently to relax her, even if it was in his sleep. The feel of his fingers tracing gently up and down her spine began to calm and relax her, especially when he would stop and scratch gently at the bottom of her hairline before moving down her back. Eventually, he stopped the movement, and Ziva reached down, sliding her fingers through his and tugging his arm around her, until their hands were tucked against her chest, resting over her heart.


	7. Chapter 7

**Rifiuto: N** **on Miri** **ena**

 **Thanks to Reader aka Sun Samurai, Buddy5647, Sazzita, YaleAceBella12, and DS2010 for reviewing 6.**

Cold sheets.

She rubbed them between her fingers; it was that motion that awoke her, and slowly, she lifted her head. Yes, he was gone; his side of the bed abandoned and void of the warmth that had been his body. She pushed herself to a sitting position, her gaze never leaving the bed as she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Not a sound came from the further recesses of the apartment- clearly, he'd gone out, most likely for a run.

After a moment, she turned, checking the time on her phone.

About four-thirty or so, which meant Tim was out on his run.

She set her phone down and slowly climbed out of bed; the familiar chill of New England hit her skin, and she shivered, before climbing over the bed to grab his pajama bottoms and one of his hooded sweaters that lay at the end of the bed. As she moved to pull them on, she stopped, at the familiar smell that wafted towards her. Slowly, she lifted the hem of the sweater to her nose, breathing in that scent- typewriter ink, coffee, and that leather jacket she longed to run her fingers over...

 _Guys have that... such a wonderful smell about them._

She quickly pulled them on; of course, they drowned her, for Tim was several inches taller than her. At roughly six feet, he was a whole head or two taller than Ziva, at merely five-foot-three, was. And though he was tall, he was also thin- in fact, he was so thin Ziva still worried that he was sick, even though it was clear by now to everyone on the team and at HQ that he was just focused on his health, especially when it came to maintaining not only a healthy weight, but his physique. He _had_ mentioned something last night when she'd asked over dinner about a heart condition that often struck those in his family- both men and women- later on in life, but hadn't elaborated on the condition or what the symptoms were; he'd simply said that he was at a good place in regards to his weight and wanted to keep it there to avoid any problems later on in life, so clearly this condition- whatever it was- was weight-related.

Or was affected by his weight.

The front door opened and shut, and footsteps soon made their way towards the bedroom; she looked up as the door opened and he slipped inside, shutting it softly behind him. "Ziva-" She waited. "you're up. Look, I'm sorry I left, without letting you know, but-"

"It's okay, Tim. I... kind of figured when I checked the time that you had gone for a run."

He nodded and removed his headphones from around his neck and then heading for the bathroom. Once the door shut behind him, Ziva shuffled out to the kitchen. She started a pot of coffee, leaning against the counter as she waited for it to finish, her mind wandering to the man in the shower.

He was so... so very much unlike any man she had ever met before. He was kind, chivalrous- an absolute and complete gentleman in a world where his kind were a rare and endangered breed. Someone she wouldn't mind getting to know more of, especially since she knew hardly anything about her green-eyed, Irish-born, quiet computer geek. She knew that he had a younger sister, Sarah, a grandmother, and that his parents were divorced- separated?- and that his father was high up in the Navy.

The coffee finished and she quickly poured herself a cup, pulling a cup out for Tim before going into the small living area. The desk that held his typewriter was next to the sofa, and against the far wall was a bookcase which held everything from fiction to nonfiction to mystery. Various trinkets that obviously held special meaning were situated on various shelves, and he had a record collection- some clearly played, others not that much. Many were jazz, but there were several that weren't- sixties folk, seventies rock, artists like Queen and U2. She set her cup down, before pulling one out of the stack.

What surprised her was that it wasn't a record- but a CD, in a clear plastic case. There was a sheet of paper slipped into the front of the case-

 _Throwbacks_

She didn't recognize the scrawl- it wasn't Tim's, she knew that much- and after a moment, went to the computers set up at the other side of the living room. Taking a seat, she opened the CD drive and slipped the CD in, waiting for it to come up in Windows Media before picking a random song- she'd only heard of a couple- and letting it play. Keeping the volume on low, she got up, grabbing her cup and returning to the chair, unaware that the shower in the bathroom had shut off.

It was different, this music, but she liked it. Though it had taken her a while to acclimate to American society, Ziva found that the music had helped bridge that often difficult gap- the constant idioms and American slang often confused her, but the music; music had its own language, a language that transcended cultures and continents. One she was happy to learn.

"I see you found my music." She looked up as Tim came into the living room, already dressed in a pair of jeans, pulling on a Kelly green button-down, his hair still damp. Ziva felt her mouth drop slightly at the sight of his abs-

 _God, he is gorgeous. More so than any man I have ever seen- and Tony says that he is scrawny? Scurvy? Well, whichever it is, he most certainly is not! If anything, Tim is ten times hotter than Tony is or ever will be. Wait a minute? Did you just think Tim was hot?_

She snapped her mouth shut, subtly checking to make sure she wasn't drooling, and stood. "I made coffee." Quickly, she rushed off to get him a cup; stopping mid-pour as his voice cut into her thoughts.

"Hey Ziva? Is that my sweater?" She glanced down, turning to him with a blush. He nodded, stopping when he realized what else she was wearing. "And... are those my pajama bottoms?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Rifiuto: N** **on Miri** **ena**

The familiar _ding!_ of the elevator reaching the floor caused Tony to look up from his work. Seconds passed before the doors opened and his partners stepped out; he watched in silence as they walked in perfect sync, a choreographed dance neither meant to take part in- something that just happened. Ziva laughed about something Tim said.

It was the first time Tony had heard her laugh since the debacle at her apartment. His blood began to boil at the realization that it was _McGee_ making her laugh and not him.

He watched in silence as Ziva put her things behind her desk and then joined McGee at his, perching on the edge, coffee in hand. They didn't lose a single beat in their conversation, even as Tim logged into his computer and Ziva sipped her coffee. "I was not aware that Sarah had made that playlist-"

"Neither was I, when I first found it. She'd slipped it into my record collection when my back was turned."

Ziva's laughter rang out through the bullpen, and Tim leaned back in his chair, grinning as he realized that he was the cause of that beautiful laugh.

"So, what shall we order for dinner tonight, Tim?"

"Who said anything about ordering?" She raised an eyebrow as he sipped his coffee. "I can cook."

"Really?" He nodded. "I never knew-"

"You never asked, Zi."

"What are you two doing here?" The pair looked up as Gibbs strode into the bullpen. Ziva hopped off Tim's desk. "Both Vance and I gave you time off, you should not be here."

"But Gibbs, we figured-" But the team leader glanced around them; the sight of Tony's fists clenching was all the indication he needed.

"Doesn't matter. Go home, both of you."

"But Gibbs-"

"You are _not_ to be back in this bullpen until the four weeks are up, and if I catch you in here again, I'll ask Director Vance to extend it, is _that clear_?" The pair nodded and quickly grabbed their things, heading for the elevator. Once they were gone, Tony turned to his boss.

"Can you believe them, Boss? Acting as though they're a couple, even though McGee has no right to-" The younger agent jumped as Gibbs's hand connected with the back of his head.

"It's none of your business, DiNozzo. Tim and Ziva are grown adults."

"But they shouldn't-"

"They are _not_ your concern, DiNozzo."

"But Boss-"

But Gibbs was gone before Tony could even get the words out. "What's not your concern, Tony?" The senior agent looked up as the forensic scientist entered the bullpen from the back elevator; her black pigtails bounced as she moved.

"McGee and Ziva came in a few minutes ago, acting for all the world as though they were a couple, talking about what they were going to have for dinner and what they were going to do that evening after work. Then Gibbs caught them and told them to go home. That they're not to be in for the next four weeks, and that he'll have Vance extend the sabbatical."

Abby laughed. "A couple? Ziva and McGee? Not possible! Ziva isn't even remotely interested in McGee and he isn't interested in her! She's interested in _you_ , Tony, besides, Timmy belongs to _me_." Abby said, perching herself on Tony's desk, swinging her legs back and forth like a child.

"Well, from what I could see, they were fairly couple-y."

The Goth snorted, shaking her head. "No chance. Ziva's about as interested in Timmy as a cat is with a dying mouse. Once the four weeks are up, she'll come running back to you. And Timmy will come back to me, apologizing for even _thinking_ Ziva was interested in him. Trust me."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"

Abby shrugged. "Nothing. Just trust me on this. Those four weeks Ziva's going to be spending with Timmy will make them both realize how wrong they are for each other and how right we are for them."

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused both to look up; Gibbs stood in the entrance to the bullpen, coffee in hand, having heard-

"Gibbs." Abby hopped off the desk, giving a nervous laugh. "How... how much did you hear?"

" _All_ of it, Abby." The forensic paled. Gibbs sipped his coffee, making his way towards the two. He stopped inches from the woman, studying her briefly before, "Now you both listen to me, and you listen good. You leave McGee and _Da_ vid alone."

"But Gibbs-" He reached up, laying a finger against her mouth.

" _Leave them alone_. Because if I find out that either of you have messed with them, both of you will be out of work. And I don't just mean for a day or two, I mean permanently." He glanced at Tony, who raised an eyebrow. "And if either of you _dare_ do anything to harm either Ziva or Tim, not only will you lose your jobs, but you will face criminal charges, is that clear?"

"C'mon Gibbs-"

 _"Do I make myself clear?"_ Gibbs growled, cutting Tony off. After a moment, the Italian nodded. "Abby." She refused to meet his gaze, instead, crossing her arms and pouting. _"Abigail."_

Slowly, the woman nodded. Once satisfied, Gibbs headed up to the director's office to let Vance know of the situation unfolding in the bullpen. Once he was gone, Abby turned back to Tony. "I really don't care what Gibbs says. He knows that Timmy belongs to me and that Ziva belongs to you. And the sooner Gibbs sees and accepts that, the better it will be for all of us." Then, without another word, she turned, striding back to the elevator and down to her lab.

Tony watched her go, wanting to agree with her, but the threat of losing his job and criminal charges rang in his head, blocking any sort of mental agreement from taking place.


End file.
